


Spring Cleaning

by kathkin



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M, Post-Quest, Samfro Week, Samfro Week Autumn 2019, post-Grey Havens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 15:23:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20762564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathkin/pseuds/kathkin
Summary: “He wouldn’t want us clinging onto things.”Sam and Merry do some spring cleaning in Bag End.





	Spring Cleaning

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [Illegible_Scribble](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illegible_Scribble/pseuds/Illegible_Scribble) in the [SeasonalSamfro_Autumn_2019](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SeasonalSamfro_Autumn_2019) collection. 

> **Prompt:** Memories
> 
> For Tuesday, September 24th.

It was an excellent day for spring cleaning, Merry had decided. Bright and sunny, but not so warm as to be uncomfortable. The ground outside was dry and he and Pippin had half the contents of the cellar laid out on the grass for sorting. It was almost lunchtime when he went inside to check on Sam.

“We’re halfway done,” he said as he poked his head into the bedroom. “How’s it coming along in here?”

“Hm?” said Sam vaguely.

The bed behind him was strewn with clothes. Old things, mostly, clothes Merry barely recognised. Mathoms, really. Sam stood by an open drawer, holding a shirt between his hands, staring at it as if hypnotised.

“Are you alright?” said Merry.

Sam adjusted his grip on the shirt. An undershirt, cream-coloured and soft with wear. “Still smells like him a bit,” he said.

He drew the shirt in close to his body, holding it to his chest as if imagining holding the body that had once worn it. His eyes were somewhere very far away.

As gently as he could Merry said, “you don’t have to do this today.”

“We’ve put it off long enough as it is,” said Sam.

“So?” said Merry.

“He wouldn’t want us clinging onto things.” Sam relaxed his loving grip on the shirt, holding it away from himself, looking it over one last time. Heaving a sigh he tossed it onto the bed, atop the pile of clothes to be got rid of.

Then he leaned heavily upon the drawers, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he missed it dearly.

Stepping closer Merry touched his arm. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” said Sam.

“Do you want some help?” said Merry.

Sam heaved another breath. He nodded, his eyes screwed shut. Then he straightened up, scrubbing at his face. “Sorry,” he said. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” said Merry. “I know how it is.”

“I told meself I wouldn’t get like this,” said Sam.

“And here I thought if there were going to be tears today it’d be Pippin,” said Merry, and in spite of it all Sam choked out a laugh.

“Alright,” he said, wiping his face again, Merry’s comforting hand on his shoulder. “M’alright. Let’s get it done.”


End file.
